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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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 Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:51 am Post subject: Public School Airfare Question |
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So, I have not been in Korea long enough to have been refunded my one-way airfare yet, and I am considering switching schools.
I am wondering, since the school I would be switching to would not be paying for my flight here, if it might be possible to instead have the school refund me for the ticket I bought to get to Korea in the first place? Has anyone ever heard of this?
I'm working at a public school, and looking at other public schools.
*Note: This is a hypothetical question, since I haven't even decided if I want to switch yet.
Last edited by driftingfocus on Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:48 am; edited 1 time in total |
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luvnpeas
Joined: 03 Aug 2006
Location: somewhere i have never travelled
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:43 am Post subject: |
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| There is no way anybody here can answer that question. As a bare beginning, you'd have to say what district you work for. A better approach is to ask the school. If you think they're flaky (often the case), ask someone in the district office. |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:47 am Post subject: |
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| luvnpeas wrote: |
| There is no way anybody here can answer that question. As a bare beginning, you'd have to say what district you work for. A better approach is to ask the school. If you think they're flaky (often the case), ask someone in the district office. |
It's a hypothetical question. I haven't decided to switch yet, and I'm less likely to do so if I'm unlikely to be able to get the new school to reimburse it. I'm looking to switch to Gangwondo, but that's about as specific as I've gotten thus far. |
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purple_buddha
Joined: 18 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:23 am Post subject: |
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OP,
Instead of worrying about switching schools and the original airfare you paid, I'd start planning my trip home. Coming to Korea with a history of mental illness, even if well-monitored and under control with the proper medications, was not the wisest move to begin with.
You're way out of your depth here with no close knit support network, and based on your previous posts, not having a very positive experience. What makes you think a different school is going to solve your problems? You'll be dealing with the same culture and language barrier issues somewhere else.
While I find your drama entertaining to read, I don't think it will remain comedic for much longer. If you're able to tough it out somehow, then more credit to you. However, I think it's time for you to take a hard look in the mirror and decide if a year of misery is the best thing for your mental health. Good luck in any case. |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:30 am Post subject: |
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| purple_buddha wrote: |
OP,
Instead of worrying about switching schools and the original airfare you paid, I'd start planning my trip home. Coming to Korea with a history of mental illness, even if well-monitored and under control with the proper medications, was not the wisest move to begin with.
You're way out of your depth here with no close knit support network, and based on your previous posts, not having a very positive experience. What makes you think a different school is going to solve your problems? You'll be dealing with the same culture and language barrier issues somewhere else.
While I find your drama entertaining to read, I don't think it will remain comedic for much longer. If you're able to tough it out somehow, then more credit to you. However, I think it's time for you to take a hard look in the mirror and decide if a year of misery is the best thing for your mental health. Good luck in any case. |
The culture and language barriers, actually, have been fine. Neither really bothers me, and actually, being out here in the middle of nowhere, I mostly keep to myself, which is great. My *only* problem here is this woman, and the other Korean teachers say that yeah, she's nuts. I love it here, minus this woman. If I can fix some of the issues I have with her, everything will be way better. I'm not miserable by any means, just frustrated sometimes when she plays her games. I've had far worse jobs in the US, for far, far longer, and came out fine. At least here I get three times as much vacation, and can go walk through a rice paddy after work to blow off steam. |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:40 am Post subject: |
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OP, so you're in a rural school? and is this woman one of your co-teachers... or that sup that made you teach sick?
i think a lot of your problems can be solved by saying "no" to irrational requests or any extras they want from you (i know many people will not agree with me, but when you start in Korea they tend to TEST you to see how much they can get out of you).
i also think you should keep a contract on you at all times at school and reference it if they start in on you again. once you put your foot down, things will get better (i was in a similar situation last year)
worst comes to worst, you could try talking to your VP (sup is the head teacher, right?) or principal. you're at a rural school, it will take them quite some time to get your replacement and they will try to keep you happy if they think you may leave (you've got a bargaining chip right there)
by the way, i've heard school transfers aren't common- i tried to switch schools last year |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad-ish wrote: |
OP, so you're in a rural school? and is this woman one of your co-teachers... or that sup that made you teach sick?
i think a lot of your problems can be solved by saying "no" to irrational requests or any extras they want from you (i know many people will not agree with me, but when you start in Korea they tend to TEST you to see how much they can get out of you).
i also think you should keep a contract on you at all times at school and reference it if they start in on you again. once you put your foot down, things will get better (i was in a similar situation last year)
worst comes to worst, you could try talking to your VP (sup is the head teacher, right?) or principal. you're at a rural school, it will take them quite some time to get your replacement and they will try to keep you happy if they think you may leave (you've got a bargaining chip right there)
by the way, i've heard school transfers aren't common- i tried to switch schools last year |
This is the sup that made me teach sick. I love my co-teachers, all 7 of them. Yes, I have a different one for each school.
Yeah, it's just hard to put my foot down with this woman. Yesterday when they did make a particularly ridiculous request (that I move in with another teacher for 3 months while they renovate my apartment), I said "NO. I WILL QUIT." and the other co-teachers, who hate the woman but like me said that yes, she was being ridiculous, so they took her out of the room and talked with her. When she came back in she looked like a sulky kid who'd had a favourite toy taken away. If I quit, there's a good chance she'll be fired, so I do have a lot of leverage.
I don't have one particular VP or principal. I teach at *seven* schools, not one, so I don't really answer to them, I answer to this woman. She is not my co-teacher, she is my coordinator, and my boss. I'm paid by the county, not the schools themselves, sort of. My boss *above* her is the provincial director, who I have talked to and who is on my side, but she's not giving me very much helpful advice.
Yeah, that's my concern is that while hagwon transfers happen every day I'm sure, I'm pretty sure one public school would not like someone who left another public school. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:33 pm Post subject: |
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I hope they're paying you a lot of extra money for teaching 7 schools.  |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Ramen wrote: |
| I hope they're paying you a lot of extra money for teaching 7 schools. |
$200 extra/mo $100 for rural, $100 for multiple schools. I make 2.3.
Plus, $100 for transport, but about $70 of that does actually get used.
Last edited by driftingfocus on Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:42 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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| driftingfocus wrote: |
| Ramen wrote: |
| I hope they're paying you a lot of extra money for teaching 7 schools. |
$200 extra/mo $100 for rural, $100 for multiple schools
Plus, $100 for transport, but about $70 of that does actually get used. |
Damn that's not enough....
You should at least get 50,000 - 100,000 for each school. |
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driftingfocus
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Location: Boston, MA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Ramen wrote: |
| driftingfocus wrote: |
| Ramen wrote: |
| I hope they're paying you a lot of extra money for teaching 7 schools. |
$200 extra/mo $100 for rural, $100 for multiple schools
Plus, $100 for transport, but about $70 of that does actually get used. |
Damn that's not enough....
You should at least get 50,000 - 100,000 for each school. |
I have never, ever seen someone get that much. I would agree with 50,000, but even then, no other dept I looked at that required multiple schools paid separately for each school, and most didn't pay extra at all. |
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Ramen
Joined: 15 Apr 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| driftingfocus wrote: |
| Ramen wrote: |
| driftingfocus wrote: |
| Ramen wrote: |
| I hope they're paying you a lot of extra money for teaching 7 schools. |
$200 extra/mo $100 for rural, $100 for multiple schools
Plus, $100 for transport, but about $70 of that does actually get used. |
Damn that's not enough....
You should at least get 50,000 - 100,000 for each school. |
I have never, ever seen someone get that much. I would agree with 50,000, but even then, no other dept I looked at that required multiple schools paid separately for each school, and most didn't pay extra at all. |
Well, I have never ever seen or heard someone teaching at 7 schools until now. I don't think anyone else from Dave's would agree to teach at 7 schools unless the dept pays lots and lots of extra money and bend over backwards for them. |
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nomad-ish
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| driftingfocus wrote: |
| nomad-ish wrote: |
OP, so you're in a rural school? and is this woman one of your co-teachers... or that sup that made you teach sick?
i think a lot of your problems can be solved by saying "no" to irrational requests or any extras they want from you (i know many people will not agree with me, but when you start in Korea they tend to TEST you to see how much they can get out of you).
i also think you should keep a contract on you at all times at school and reference it if they start in on you again. once you put your foot down, things will get better (i was in a similar situation last year)
worst comes to worst, you could try talking to your VP (sup is the head teacher, right?) or principal. you're at a rural school, it will take them quite some time to get your replacement and they will try to keep you happy if they think you may leave (you've got a bargaining chip right there)
by the way, i've heard school transfers aren't common- i tried to switch schools last year |
This is the sup that made me teach sick. I love my co-teachers, all 7 of them. Yes, I have a different one for each school.
Yeah, it's just hard to put my foot down with this woman. Yesterday when they did make a particularly ridiculous request (that I move in with another teacher for 3 months while they renovate my apartment), I said "NO. I WILL QUIT." and the other co-teachers, who hate the woman but like me said that yes, she was being ridiculous, so they took her out of the room and talked with her. When she came back in she looked like a sulky kid who'd had a favourite toy taken away. If I quit, there's a good chance she'll be fired, so I do have a lot of leverage.
I don't have one particular VP or principal. I teach at *seven* schools, not one, so I don't really answer to them, I answer to this woman. She is not my co-teacher, she is my coordinator, and my boss. I'm paid by the county, not the schools themselves, sort of. My boss *above* her is the provincial director, who I have talked to and who is on my side, but she's not giving me very much helpful advice.
Yeah, that's my concern is that while hagwon transfers happen every day I'm sure, I'm pretty sure one public school would not like someone who left another public school. |
WOW. i can't believe she'd even say that to you! sounds like what she's trying to do is get you under her thumb, and after you called in sick, she felt that she didn't have enough control over you.
i think you should try calling your provincial director again and relate these two events and that although you like the schools, the kids and your co-teachers a lot, the situation with this woman is making you very unhappy. what can be done?
see if he mentions anything about switching or calling your sup to discuss her behaviour. if nothing changes, suggest switching schools. if they say no and the sup's behaviour continues, give in your notice. you can always go home and work or look at other countries like china
in the meantime, DO NOT grant her any little extras and stand up for yourself! she's trying to run you over. your co-teachers were nice to take her outside to explain to her about the housing situation, but in the future have your co-teachers translate what YOU SAY to her while she's there. look confident and have your contract ready in your bag
if this happened to me, i personally, would call in sick for a couple days and refuse her requests to come in and turn my phone off. then if she complained when i got back, i'd show her my sick day enriched contract! just to let her know i won't be walked on. (disclaimer: if your sup is actually crazy, this might drive her over the edge!). i think she's just being a control freak, but who knows |
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Zaria32
Joined: 04 Dec 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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purple_buddha, why do you think you're qualified to make statements about the OPs fitness to be here, and link any issue the OP may have to
bipolar illness?
It's your qualificationsto make these statements that interests me, and they are what exactly? |
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purple_buddha
Joined: 18 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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| driftingfocus wrote: |
| My *only* problem here is this woman, and the other Korean teachers say that yeah, she's nuts. |
This is Korea; there's a woman or man like that at almost every workplace. Learn the game and just say no to anything outside of your contracted responsibilities. Most bosses will try to squeeze you for every won for his/her personal gain. You've got to be more assertive.
| driftingfocus wrote: |
| I've had far worse jobs in the US, for far, far longer, and came out fine. |
Well, I would hope that you have lasted more than a month in a job. In the US you have certain legal rights as an employee, such as being able to sue over sexual harassment; as an employer, your boss has to have a valid reason to terminate your employment. Many posters on this board would agree that a bad job back home is far better than a nightmare job here.
Koreans almost never ever take sick days; you took one in your first month on the job. What happened to you was absurd, and you should have never opened the door in the first place. If you act like a doormat, you'll be treated like one indefinitely. Don't make the same mistake again if you're allowed to switch schools. |
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